


Vetted

by Jules1980



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-12-01 22:00:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20912024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jules1980/pseuds/Jules1980
Summary: Johnny needed the win.





	Vetted

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheLadyDisdain](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLadyDisdain/gifts).

"How's it going?" Kate asked as her best friend, Kevin, strode out of the courtroom.

“I need caffeine. And chocolate," he answered.

"That well?" she grimaced.

"That man is an idiot," he snapped. "He just will not shut up. He's killing the case! Come on. I need coffee and I saw a Caramello in the third floor break room."

"There are vending machines on this floor,” she replied.

"But they don't have Caramellos," he shot back. "Come on. We're on a mission to keep me from strangling a client.”

"And you can't calm those urges with a Snickers?" she asked. "We have those in our break room.”

"Woman! There as a Caramello in this building and I will have it. Now either you are with me, or you're against me," he declared with an overly dramatic flourish.

“Fine, I'm with you, I with you," Kate laughed. Kevin must have really needed the distraction. "But if I have to go all the way down to the third floor to get a Caramello, then there better be two in that machine. That's all I'm saying."

"That’s my girl," Kevin grinned, taking her arm and leading her towards the elevators.

Two Caramellos and three coffees, one for Kate, two for Kevin, later, they were ‘taking the scenic route’ back to their courtroom, when they turned a corner into one of Kate’s nightmares.

Johnny was on one side of the hall, his ex-wife, or girlfriend, she still wasn't sure, was on the other, as their kids were literally standing between them like some scene out of a bad Lifetime movie.

She knew that the third floor was family court, but she hadn't known that Johnny's custody hearing was today. From the looks of it, things weren't going well.

Laura was leaning heavily on her crutches and sobbing on Robby's shoulder. The rest looked ready to explode on each other.

“Come here, Lou." Johnny stepped towards them, but Robby practically shoved him away, getting between them.

“Don't," he warned, glaring at his father.

Kate knew Johnny's kids. Laura hung out at the dojo sometimes and then there had been the All Valley thing at the lake. She knew Johnny and Robby didn't always get along, but she'd never seen Robby glare at his father with such fury and hatred before. It was painful just to witness. Still, she hoped Johnny wouldn't back down. Whatever was going on, he needed to stand up for himself and not step back to keep the peace. Robby needed him to step up too, no matter if he thought he did or not.

"I'm still your father, Robby," he said, softly but firm. He put his arms around, first Laura, then Robby.

"Some father," Robby muttered, jerking away.

"But still yours, Son," Johnny replied before addressing his ex. "Shannon, please don't do this. Let them stay with me."

"You heard what the judge said," she snapped.

"Yeah, I heard. I heard you lie and manipulate our fifteen-year-old daughter to lie for you. Look at her! You can see she's not ready to go back to your apartment," Johnny pleaded.

"You've had then all summer, Johnny. It's my turn."

"She's terrified to go with you."

"She'll be fine.

"Shannon! Don't do this. Please. Just let her stay with me a few more days," he pleaded again.

“No. You've...,"

"SHUT UP," Robby roared suddenly. "Both of you. Dad, if you had gotten your shit together and found a decent lawyer, we wouldn't have to go with mom. Mom, if you hadn't convinced Laura to lie for you, Dad would have won no matter how shitty his lawyer is. So just SHUT UP already!" He gently pulled Laura away from Johnny, "Come on, Lou. I got you. We'll be okay."

Kate wanted to intervene. Johnny looked so shattered.

Before she could make a move, Kevin's hand was on her arm, pulling her back.

"No, you don't," he said. "There's nothing for you around that corner right now."

“But…,”

“I know your heart is in the right place but that doesn’t matter right now. That woman hates you and will always hate you, she doesn't have to know you to hate you. Those kids like you for the most part, but you’re Dad’s new girlfriend and getting between their parents is the fastest way to make them hate your guts. And Johnny, well, I'm sure he doesn't want you to see him catching shit from his ex and their kids. Just cool your jets and talk to him when they leave."  
He was right. She knew he was right, but it was still hard to watch and not intervene.

"Shannon! Shannon! SHANNON!"

Kate heard a loud thump then. They looked around the corner again. Johnny was alone now cradling one of his fists and muttering a stream of curse words.

"Go," Kevin said, softly, pushing her forward. “I’ll cover for you upstairs if you aren’t back for your next case.”

“Thank you.” She hugged him gratefully, before walking around the corner. “Johnny?”

He looked up, surprised, then stricken as he quickly tried to wipe his face. “Oh, um…, hi, Kate. I…, I…” He stopped and covered his face with his hands, not knowing what to say or how to even make sense of what had happened.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” She wrapped her arms around him. After a moment, she took his hand. “Come on. I know where we can talk.” She led him to a small consult room and locked the door behind them. “What happened?”

“I lost them,” he mumbled. “They ruled in Shannon’s favor.”

“How?” She hadn’t known Johnny when his daughter was hurt, but she’d read up on the case.

“Her lawyer is better than mine, I guess,” he shrugged.

“We’ll deal with that later,” she promised. She wasn’t into family law, but she was sure that Kevin would have some recommendations and connections. “So, it goes back to how it was? Wednesdays and every other weekend?” It wasn’t full time like he was hoping, but it wasn’t nothing.

He shook his head miserably.

“There’s something I haven’t told you,” he admitted. Taking a deep breath. “The night Laura was hurt, Robby got…, stoned out of his mind and thought that it would be a good idea to hunt Cooper down and make him pay for what he’d done…,” he paused for a minute. “When I found them, Cooper had Robby down on the ground…, I thought…, I attacked him. I…, I couldn’t stop. Even when LaRusso and Dutch had Robby safe away from him. I…,” he stopped and put his head in his hands. “I hurt him bad. They had to take him to a hospital. The officers at the scene took pity on me since there was a very real chance that my daughter was dying. They gave me a summons to appear and let me go with Bobby.”

“I know all that,” she admitted softly.

He looked at her in surprise. She was against violence. He had been sure that finding out that he had a current conviction for assault would have been the end of them.

“You don’t think I left Rani in your care without completely vetting you first, do you?” She smiled slightly.

“No, I guess not,” he replied, looking a little bit relieved. 

“I still believe violence is not an answer, Johnny, but I’m not devoid of compassion on the subject. I won’t put up with you trying to fight everyone who crosses your path, but I can definitely understand what you were going through then,” she answered, putting her arms around him again. “You were trying to protect your children.”  
He sniffed and wiped his eyes again. “Yeah, the judge thought so too. But this judge, and Shannon’s lawyer…, they said…, then out popped some stuff I did when I was younger…, I can’t see my kids again until I take some bullshit anger management classes,” He sobbed. “Six months of them. Six months until I can see them again. No wonder Robby hates me. All I do is fail them. The way he looked at me…,”

“Shh…,” she soothed, pulling his head to her shoulders and running her fingers through his hair. “It’ll be okay. I’ll help you. Kevin has connections. We’ll get you a great lawyer and get the case reheard.”

“You think?” He sounded hopeful. 

“I know,” she replied, kissing his forehead. “We’ll do this together. I’m on your side, Babe.”

“I like the sound of that,” he admitted. He wiped his face for the last time and returned her hug, holding her tightly. “So, just how thorough was this vetting?”

“Well, let’s just say, I know why your buddies call you the Ace Degenerate,” she grinned, leaning in for a kiss.

“And you still want to be on my side? I think I can call this one a win.” And Lord, did Johnny need a win that day and Kate was happy she could be it.


End file.
